All Alone
by nine miles to go
Summary: Chris is only fourteen years old and yet everything in his life has gone terribly wrong. Now he's on the verge of destruction...what can he do to make it through alive? rn-COMPLETE-
1. Orbing

Hey everyone! I got this story idea on a long, boring car ride. But I think this one won't be a dud! Yes, I am planning to up date my neglected stories, but for now I'm working on this.

Note: I do not intend for there to be much romance in this plot. For now, Catty and Chris are only best friends (though I may tweak that a bit later on) and Bianca is the enemy, as is appropriate in this stage of Chris' life.

Disclaimer: WAIT UP, MR. KERN! NUH-UH! I DIDN'T ZEROX THIS MONEY!! NO, SERIOUSLY, IT'S NOT (cough cough) FAKE! WAAAAAIIIIIIT! I REALLY WANT TO BY CHARMED! PLEASE WAIT FOR ME!!!!!!!! Okay, I don't own Charmed!! But I'm dealing with it...

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All Alone:

Chapter One

His steps echoed through the alley as his feet hit the cold pavement. With every gasp of air there came a frosty fog of breath in the freezing night. Through the misty haze he saw a door. Running frantically, he reached it, desperately rattling the knob...only to find it was locked. He turned, but the alley was a dead end.

The stars and pale moonlight illuminated the terror on his face as he stood completely still, thoughts racing. Any moment his attacker would catch him, alone and vulnerable. In this darkness, nobody could save him. Not that anybody ever would.

Her name was Bianca and she held a knife. That was all he understood; but why did she want to kill him? He wasn't special in any way. His only power was telekinesis—he couldn't even orb and his father was a highly-respected elder Up There.

Footsteps in the distance sliced through his temporary calm. She ran, expression twisted in rage and her long, black hair trailing behind her, snapping like a whip in the wind. Her eyes flickered in hatred and her lips curled in sickening pleasure at his fear. In her hand was the knife, glinting threateningly as she poised to attack.

He froze in fear, mouth hanging open in shock. This was the end. He'd been running from her for weeks and now he was trapped. What was it like to die?

As she jerked the knife forward, he closed his eyes and braced himself for overwhelming pain. But the knife never plunged into his gut. A shriek of murderous erupted from her, becoming more and more distant as he felt himself uncontrollably spinning through the cosmos. In the vague depths of his mind, he thought of the safe, protected feeling he'd always had in the manor attic before he landed on the hardwood floor with a thud from several feet off the ground.

Opening his eyes, he found himself in the attic. His head throbbed and he was shaking from the journey. He was too exhausted to celebrate his first orb. Besides, he hated this place with a passion. Now he no longer felt safe and secure.

Blood still stained the carpet where Piper hand met her untimely end. All that was left of Phoebe and Mel and Les were scorch marks and scattered ashes. As for Paige, he didn't know. What was evil and now he was all alone, struggling to survive on the streets as the days passed by.

With a moan, he shivered and lay his head down by the altar where the Book of Shadows, his only means of comfort, used to rest before Wyatt stole it. He didn't want to sleep here, where the family had been murdered, where their innocent souls lingered in nothingness, but he had no choice as the exhaustion crept over him.

* * *

The next morning, he trudged through the snow to the bus stop. His old t-shirt and worn-out jeans did little to protect him from the bitter cold of winter. The soles of his sneakers squished and his toes were numb from the leaked in ice.

With an earsplitting screech, the bus pulled up in front of him and he walked on slowly. Ignoring the snickers and laughs aimed at him from his fellow classmates, he wedged past the crowded aisle to the back of the bus and sat down next to Catty, his best friend.

"Chris, you look horrible," she gasped. "Demon?"

He nodded, sighing. "Bianca, the infamous stalker. As always."

"Oh, Chris," she sympathized. She pitied her poor friend but didn't dare show it; it annoyed him when she fussed. Thirteen years old, Catty was a witch without any active powers. She had pale, thin blonde hair that hung down straight and soft hazel eyes like melted chocolate. Along with her parents and her sister Alia, her family was among the last of the witches that had managed to stay in hiding. She and her family had moved to San Francisco three years ago when she was in the fifth grade, and she and Chris had been best friends since that day.

He managed a weak smile to reassure her. "New power," he mumbled between chattering teeth. "I can orb."

Catty's face lit up. "That's wonderful! We can share that at the Alliance gathering tonight at P3!" She lowered her voice, blushing at her outburst. They couldn't be too careful about what they said near their classmates, or they might be accused of practicing witchcraft and end up imprisoned or burned like the others. "Maybe I'll get a new power soon, too," she added hopefully.

"Aw, c'mon, Catty. You're our master spell producer/potion concocter. Who needs a power with your skills?" He grinned at her, but suddenly she became very blurry. There was a twinge of pain in his head where he'd hit the floor last night and he winced.

"Are you all right? What happened to your head?" she demanded, noticing the bruise that had formed there overnight.

"Nothing, I just landed badly. I'm fine. I swear it. I've always been a klutz!"

Catty looked at him uncertainly. "If you're sure...Hey, how about you meet me at my place after school? We can prepare for the Alliance with snacks and stuff, or something." In truth, she was trying to make up an excuse to get him off the streets, where he'd usually wander since he had no place to go. She thought it was too dangerous; no matter how tough he was, he had no chance against Bianca. Catty didn't want to lose him more than anything.

Chris knew that the Alliance wasn't really that big of a deal. There were only four other members: Alia, Ollie, Brandon and Tommy; all kid witches in the area that had so far been untargeted by Wyatt's wrath. The six of them had banded together for protection, but now they were like the family that Chris never had.

"Sure," he agreed, oblivious to her intentions. He added jokingly, "Hey, if you trust me, I can orb us home."

The bus lurched to a stop in front of their high school before she could respond. "People are going to notice that bruise on your head. You'd better come up with an excuse," she warned before heading to her first period as hall monitor.

He nodded. Sure enough, she was right.

"Hey Halliwell, whatsa matter? Got beat up by your grandma?" mocked the school's biggest bullies. His followers, all cowards that joined him out of intimidation, laughed along with him.

"Sure, Paul," he muttered, not giving Paul the satisfaction of seeing him embarrassed. He headed to gym without looking back. People continued to make fun of him, where it be his condition or his clothes or lack of social interest other than with Catty. But just like every other day, he ignored them and stared straight ahead, unfazed and pretending not to care.

About halfway through gym while they were playing basketball, another painful twinge shot through his head and didn't fade. "Mrs. Caloski, I, uh, need to use the bathroom," he choked out. She nodded and gave him a pass, looking concerned.

Once he stumbled into the locker room, he put his head in his hands, willing the pain to go away. Nothing happened after a long, painful two minutes and finally he gave up, opening his eyes—

To face Mrs. Caloski.

"Chris, I want to see you in my office after class," she instructed.

"Uh..." But she was gone. He groaned. Either he was in big enough trouble for her to stalk him into a boy's locker room or she was onto his secret. As much as he relented disobeying, he planned to bolt away as soon as the bell rang. Thought as he was getting changed, he quickly had to eliminate that option.

"Need these?" taunted Paul, holding up Chris' battered sneakers.

"You can have them," Chris replied in monotone. He was too tired to fight back. Besides, he didn't want to satisfy Paul and he certainly didn't want to demote himself to Wyatt's level. But now he couldn't exactly escape as he had planned.

"Where are your shoes?" she asked as he stepped inside.

He shrugged. "Somewhere, I guess. Do you need me for something? I have to get to math class."

"I just would like to speak with you. Sit down, please." She paused to shuffle some papers on her desk as he sat, then met his eyes.

Chris had always felt funny about this woman. She was younger than all the other teachers and the was something unnerving about her—like she didn't belong in the school, like she wasn't really supposed to be teaching gym. And sometimes he'd feel like calling her Aunt Phoebe or something, as creepy as that sounded. She had icy blue eyes and short brown hair, and in a way, did resemble Phoebe. But Phoebe was dead.

"Chris, I'm worried about you. I know more than you might think...and I know what happened to you mother and aunts. I know that you've been living on the streets and I know about the dangers you constantly face."

Chris shrank into his seat. "I don't know what you're saying. My mother's on a business trip and I'm living with my father until she gets back. You're not making any sense," he lied.

Mrs. Caloski sighed. "Chris, you haven't seen your father in two years. Leo abandoned you. Please don't lie to me—I know the truth, Chris." She stood and stepped closer to him. "Christopher Perry Halliwell, son of a Charmed One. Powers include telekinesis and orbing as of last night. On the run from an assassin, Bianca. Current leader of the Alliance. Living alone on the streets. Getting good grades in gym," she listed.

Chris' heart seemed to choke him back from screaming in shock. His mouth hung open in disbelief. "But..."

"My name is Prue Halliwell. I would be your aunt, but I'm your whitelighter since I died before you were born."

Chris shot up with a jolt, knocking the chair back. This couldn't be true. If she was family than he'd only lose her as well. No, he couldn't handle family anymore...not after they'd all mistrusted him, ignored him, then left him here all alone on earth after they'd died. "I—I don't believe you!" he cried, swinging open the office door and sprinting out into the hall.

"Chris?!" Catty called after him, on hallway duty.

"See you," he choked to her, unable to say much more. He was met by the cruelty of the hardened snow squishing between his toes and the cold air smacking him in the face like a fist. His thoughts raced in his mind, and he mumbled incoherently, "I am a person you cannot trace/Invisible to the whitelighter eye/Disappeared through time and space/You can't see where I hide!"

Suddenly he tripped on a pinecone, ending up sprawled out helplessly on the road in less than an instant. A car was coming...Mrs. Caloski's, with the headlights so BRIGHT...he clenched his eyes shut to block out the light and for the second time in twenty four hours, waited for death.

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Haha! You guys have no idea how much I enjoy doing this to you all! Anyways, please review if you like the fic! The next chappie's on the way!

Pink-Charmed-One


	2. Alliance

Disclaimer: You know what? This is hopeless! I give up! No more stalking Brad Kern! I don't own Charmed!!

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All Alone: 

Chapter Two

But death never came. He was safe.

For now.

As the orbs dissipated around him, he reached out his hand to steady himself. He found the hard tabletop of the deck in the P3 office before sinking to his knees in exhaustion and defeat. Orbing drained him so much...and it was so cold. He shut his eyes, still willing himself to stay awake. But there was no such luck.

* * *

"Chris...Chris, wake up! Chris, can you hear me? Chris!"

"Wh-what?" Her outline was blurry, but after a moment he could make out Catty's worried face hovering over him. He was still at the desk, where he'd collapsed after the orb. "Catty, what are you doing here?" he said in a strained voice. The pain in his head didn't fade, now fiercer than before.

"Chris, the meeting—remember? Are you okay?" She helped him to his feet. "What happened? One minute you're running out of school, and now...you look horrible, Chris! I'm scared. I need you, the Alliance needs you. We...we can't lose you, Chris," she choked out.

"I'm fine," he assured her gently. "It's not me you need to worry about. It's Wyatt." His face filled with a dark shadowy remorse at his brother's name.

Catty hated it when Chris talked like that. She knew that it was important to stop Wyatt, since he'd exposed witchcraft and killed so many innocents. And she knew that their own safety was at risk because, should they be discovered, they'd be burned at the stake with all the other found witches. But Chris talked as if he didn't matter, when in truth is was he that kept the Alliance going and had the idea to protect all of the kids that joined.

"What time is it?" Chris asked.

"Seven o'clock. They'll be here in a minute." Eyes watering, she faced him again. "Chris, I hate to see you like this. Freezing, starved, tired..."

"I said I'm _fine_," he repeated more firmly, trying desperately by now to ignore the escalating pain.

Alia was already waiting for them in an old bar chair. She was nine years old, with the same pale skin ad thin, straight blonde hair as her sister's. Chris had always found her interesting. She never said anything unless it was worth saying, and she always took a moment to think about her answers to somebody before saying them. Though she said little, her words seemed to be worth more.

And, as fate would have it, her vivid gray eyes had the power of premonition that so often helped them.

There was a loud SNAP noise from the back entrance, causing Catty to roll her eyes. In came Ollie, chewing gum and popping bubbles. Ollie had dirty blonde hair that she wore relatively short with her bright blue eyes. She was definitely the tomboy of the group, but also stubborn and occasionally too quick to make decisions. Her passion for stopping Wyatt, though that as big as Chris', sent her in the wrong direction at times. But otherwise he was smart, and the power of her low-voltage energy balls that came in handy for distracting most demons that attacked.

"Sup?" she asked casually, sliding into a chair and spinning on it. She had a backpack slung over her shoulder. "I've got homework," she explained with a sigh. "Hey, did either of you have Ms. Larther for seventh grade history? I'm stumped."

"Chris had her," Catty said quietly. Both she and Chris were staring at their feet. "He was in the advanced class, too."

"Which assignment is it?" asked Chris, doing his best to appear okay.

"Um....whoa, you look like you went to hell and back. What happened to you?"

"New power."

"I think there's more to it," Catty added, worried. "But he won't say."

Chris sighed. "Anyways, are you talking about the essay on different governments? Yeah, that is a killer. Hm...which government were you assigned?"

"Commun—"

A gust of wind spun all around them. "Watch out!" Ollie shrieked, giggling as her papers flew across the room.

"In coming!" yelled a voice. Around the tornado of wind appeared Brandon. "Sorry, I still have to work on that," he panted. "Sorry about your stuff," he said sheepishly to Ollie.

Ollie grinned. "It's okay. You can do the essay for me to make up for it," she joked, collecting her papers.

Brandon was in the same grade as Ollie at the same school. His power was to control the wind—in a way, it was like telekinesis, but only when there was wind to work with. He could transport himself by wind, and use the element against demons. He had fiery orange hair and a face splattered with freckles with pale green-blue eyes.

The front door creaked open, and the sixth and last member of the Alliance stumbled in. "I couldn't come till my room was clean. Am I late?" asked Tommy.

"No, don't worry," Chris laughed half-heartedly.

Tommy's brown eyes flashed with worry. "What's up with you?" he asked.

"Yeah, you look bad," Brandon agreed.

Tommy and Brandon were best friends, having known each other from the time they were toddlers. Tommy had a mess of brown hair on the top of his head and brown eyes, with the power of super-fast speed, which was probably why he managed to get to the meeting on time. The two friends were both goofballs and looked up to Chris as their role model, so seeing him like this made them both skeptical.

"Look, now that everyone's here, we're going to start," Chris announced. "Anyone got news to share?"

"Yeah, I do," said Tommy. "I think—emphasis on the '_think'_ part—I saw another kid witch...get killed." He gulped. "I was dashing home from school—"

"Tommy! Don't use your powers in public!" Catty scolded.

"She's right," Chris added, "it's dangerous. We don't want to lose you because of a silly mistake like that."

"That's not the point! There was a girl in an alleyway, and she was killed by two demons. The demons exploded on the spot—I don't know why. Anyways, I recognized the girl...I mean, I didn't know her, but she looked just like a girl I'd seen in the eighth grade with you guys. Black hair, really pale...well, the girl that was killed looked like a younger version of her. I could be wrong, but I think that she could be a witch, too. Should we contact her?"

"I have fifth period English with her," Chris suggested. "I'll run it by her then. But we'll have to be careful....it could be a set-up. And she could be grieving." The pain in his head grew even more, but he pushed it back. "Anything else?"

The room fell silent.

"Chris has news," Catty said after a moment. "Remember?"

"Er, I can orb now. Just not very well and not on command. I'm trying to get it under control."

"And....?" Catty prompted.

"And Bianca's still after me," he admitted. "I got away last night because I orbed."

"Bianca?" Ollie asked. "You mean that girl that's trying to kill you?"

"The one with the athame?"

"Yeah, that's her," Chris mumbled. "But I can orb now, so it's not that much of a problem. Does anybody have any leads on Wyatt's whereabouts? I think I've got an idea—"

"Wait, Chris. Why don't you explain to us why you ran out of school today?" Catty rounded on him. "You still haven't given me a reason."

Chris sighed. "It was...nothing."

"Chris, you have to tell us!" Catty exclaimed.

"It's personal and it has nothing to do with the Alliance OR Wyatt!" Chris burst. "Look, I don't want to talk about it because it doesn't matter. Okay? Now, let's move on."

Alia stood.

"What, Alia?" asked Catty.

Alia only nodded towards Catty, silencing her sister, before reaching out for Chris' arm. Chris flinched at the jolt of power she shot through him while searching through his past. He willed her intrusions away with a mental barrier that he'd created so long ago, causing her to squeak and jump back in surprise.

"Please, don't do that," Chris pleaded her in an exhausted tone. "It won't work. Remember?"

"Sorry," she mumbled, sitting back down.

"Like I was saying. Leads, anyone?"

"No," came the several mutters.

"Wyatt is hiding away from San Francisco. He's moved on," Alia said quietly.

"What?" Catty asked her.

She paused, considering her words. "I saw it when I touched his arm, since they're related," she guessed. "He's up north, in Seattle."

"Ooooookay," Ollie said, baffled like the rest of the kids were. "Well, the further he is from us, the better."

"He could be killing other witches," Brandon pointed out.

"It's our job to protect them, too," said Tommy.

"Exactly," Chris agreed. "We can—"

"Hey!" bellowed a voice. "Who's in here? Nobody's allowed on this property!"

"Run," Chris ordered. "Meet in the park tomorrow by the statues, same time. Go!"

The kids scattered, leaving Catty and Chris behind. "Catty, I'll deal with whoever it is," Chris assured her. "Go on. I'll be fine."

"But—but Chris...."

"You can't afford to get in trouble, Catty," Chris said with a grin. "You might get kicked off the honor roll!"

Catty shot him a last worried glance before dashing out through the back entrance to control the rest of the Alliance members in the parking lot. Chris held his breath as the pounding footsteps of their intruder became louder.

"Who's in here?" the voice demanded again, straining. "Show yourself! I know you're in here, you can't hide from me!" It was a man's voice, passionate and strong. It was familiar. He'd heard it somewhere before. Long ago, he'd found comfort in it....but now it seemed just vaguely like something from his past.

Chris stood. "Leo?" he asked shakily.

"Ch—Chris," Leo stuttered. "I..."

"Where have you been?" Chris asked, suddenly trembling. "Why did you leave us?"

"It's a long story, Chris. I'm...really sorry for all you've been through. I—"

"Like hell, you're sorry. Mom and the aunts are DEAD, Leo! You never came when I called for you, and now they're gone along with Mel and Jason!" Tears blurred his vision. "What makes you think that you can come back after two years?"

"Chris...please...I just..."

"I don't want to hear it," Chris yelled, running out the back entrance. Catty was still out there, waiting for him.

"Chris, what—what's the matter?"

"I'm sorry—just—I'll drop by your house tomorrow, I've gotta—" He shook his head, trying to hide his tears. "Bye."

"Wait up!"

He ran as hard as his legs would take him for miles until he was deeper inside the city. He turned into an alley, finally collapsing into sobs.

"Ah, my little victim...right where I want him," cackled a voice.

Chris looked up in shock just before Bianca held up the knife and stabbed. She shimmered away, laughing.

It was over...

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TBC. Please Review!

Pink-Charmed-One


	3. Surviving

Disclaimer: I give up...no amount of baby sitting money will be enough to buy Charmed off of Brad Kern! (Sighs) Oh, well. At least I have my fantasies...For you slow people, that means I don't own Charmed! (lol, kidding...i'm not that mean...)

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Chapter Three: 

Surviving

Everything hurt. It hurt to move, it hurt to breathe, it hurt to think. He felt completely numb, not feeling anything but the immense pain shooting through the stab wound. His mind raced and he felt himself panicking. Now what? Would he just lay here and wait for death? No, he was stronger than that. He'd find a way out of this, somehow.

His body wracked in sobs. Leo had no right to just poof right back into his life after two years...he had no right! His vision blurred from tears and red lights of pain shooting through him seemed to dance in front of his eyes.

He tried to say "help," but all he managed was a hoarse cough. He could taste the blood in his mouth and he moaned, realizing that he was completely trapped. Catty would never forgive him if he left her and the Alliance on their own. He thought of those people Wyatt had murdered...of the people that he was going to kill...of the people that the Alliance had to save...

"Alia, are you sure?"

A voice. Catty's voice! Chris' heart leapt. They could get help...

"I'm absolutely sure. This is the place I saw in my vision," came Alia's shrill, panicked voice.

"There's nobody in this alley!" Catty wailed. "Alia, what if you're wrong? What if he's dead? Alia! Where are you going?"

"Just stop panicking, I'm trying to think!" Alia cried. Chris tried to alert them to his presence, coughing and gasping for air. But he couldn't even breathe. The attempts seemed to be squeezing his lungs and twisting them painfully.

"Oh my god, Chris!" Catty shrieked. "Alia, call the police! Do something!"

Chris felt the pain slipping away. He felt dizzy, like he was floating. The blurriness became almost reassuring. All that he could make out through the last struggled gasps of air was Catty's hair and the brick walls.

"No, wait...in my vision I...I called for...LEO!" Alia's scream alerted him out of his trance. Leo? Why was she calling for Leo? "LEO! WE NEED YOUR HELP!"

The sound of orbs filled the alley. Chris could vaguely hear it over Catty's sobs. "Save him, save him..." she shrieked hysterically. "Hurry!"

A warm feeling radiated through him before he fell into the peaceful darkness.

* * *

"He'll be okay," Leo assured the two girls. He turned to Alia. "Thank you so much. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him. How'd you know to call for me?"

"My vision," Alia explained.

"Excuse me..." Catty sniffled. "But—who are you?"

"I'm Chris' father. And you must be Catty and Alia."

"Chris never mentioned that he had a father," said Catty suspiciously. "I thought he was an orphan...after Piper died."

"I was busy," Leo said, voice filled with regret. He ran a hand through Chris' hair. "I'm an elder. It's been two years since the last time I saw him..."

"Don't you know how much he's suffered?" Catty whispered through the last of her tears. "He's alone. All alone. How could you do this to him?"

"What's he like?" Leo asked shakily.

"He's a wonderful person, no thanks to you. He's saved more people than you'll ever know!" Catty stood up, looking down at Leo with hatred glinting in her eyes. "You abandoned him and left him to live on the streets. He has nobody to take care of him. He takes care of us and the Alliance! He has nothing, and it's your fault. Why do you even dare show your face back on earth after all this time?"

"I—I couldn't sense him," Leo choked, tears forming in his eyes. "It was as if he wasn't even there anymore."

"Yeah, well you know what? He's not there anymore. You're dead to him and you always will be. Now...now..."

Leo gasped and his clothes began to smoke.

"You go back up to elder land where you belong," she hissed as Leo still smoked, as if baking under immense heat. "GO!"

Leo cried out and orbed away.

Catty panted for air, staring at the spot that he left for a long, hard moment. "Chris," she sobbed after a moment, crouching down beside him. She drew the unconscious boy into a hug. "Oh, god...I thought we'd lost you..."

"Catty," Alia breathed. "You're...you're a firestarter!" she exclaimed.

"I know. Mom and Dad told me not to tell you," Catty admitted. "Or anyone else, for that matter. It's a dangerous power. If you tell the wrong people, then demons might find out. I don't want to be working for Wyatt or anything..." Suddenly she paled. "Don't tell Chris. I don't want him to know. Nobody can know."

Chris let out a shuddered breath, shivering.

"Poor Chris. We'd better bring him home. Here, I'll call Mom and—"

"That won't be necessary."

"Mrs. Caloski?" Catty squeaked. "You didn't—just see—um—what are you doing here?"

Mrs. Caloski chuckled softly. "Wondering why Chris dashed out of school this morning? I told him I was his whitelighter. His dead aunt, actually." Her voice softened. "He's afraid. That's what Phoebe told me. She's dead now, too, but she's an empath still. He's afraid that he's going to lose me like he lost the rest of his family so he won't believe it." She sighed. "The elders wouldn't let me intervene till about this morning, when I forced them to see what kind of condition the kid was in. Then they let me take action."

Catty and Alia were baffled. "Why was Leo down here, then?" she demanded after a moment.

"Because our clever little friend here came up with a spell, so no one could sense him," Prue explained. "I told Leo, so Leo orbed down here."

"So you're a whitelighter?" Catty smirked, considering this. "Well, you always did seem out of place. Why didn't Chris wake up?" she asked worriedly when Chris let out a moan beside them.

"He's tired and hungry. You can't heal that. I'll orb you guys to your house so he can stay there, okay?"

"Thanks," said Catty with a smile.

"I should be thanking you," Prue insisted. "If Alia hadn't had that vision..." She shuddered. "Let's just say that there would be a lot of lives at stake." She grabbed Chris' hand and the two girls, orbing to Catty's house.

They ended up in the family room, where Catty's and Alia's mother was watching a movie on TV.

"Girls?" she stuttered. "What in the world...?"

"Uh, hi Mom," Catty greeted her. "It's a really long story. Can Chris stay the night?"

"Of—of course he can. Who are you?" she asked Prue. "I know you aren't the girls' whitelighter. Did something happen to Annie?" she demanded.

"No, don't worry. Annie's perfectly safe Up There at the moment. I'm Chris' whitelighter, and I would have been his aunt. Um, sorry to intrude. It's nice to meet you. You've been very good to Chris," said Prue gratefully.

"Chris is like family to us," she explained, laughing as the shock wore off somewhat. "What happened? Is he all right?"

"He's better now." Prue looked down at the unconscious boy and sighed. "He was stabbed. We just barely managed to save him in time, thanks to your daughters."

"What--?"

Prue looked up suddenly. "Oh, sorry, someone's calling me."

"Is it Leo?" Alia snickered. Catty burst out laughing.

Prue flashed them a confused stare. "Huh? How'd you know?" she asked.

"Um...never mind. Just don't mention our names," Catty cautioned with a sheepish grin. "It's...er, complicated."

"Hehe. Something tells me that he won't be happy." She shrugged and orbed up before another jingle from the elders came along.

"Guess we'd better turn in for the night," said Catty, yawning.

"Wait—what happened?"

Alia sighed, grabbing her mother's arm and sending the information through a vision in her mind.

"Oh, god!" their mother cried. "That's awful. Poor Chris." She paused. "Wait a moment...that man...I've seen him somewhere before..."

"Yeah, he's Chris' father," Catty explained.

"But it was a long time ago, four years maybe. I saw him at a park with some blonde kid that orbed right in front of everybody! Fortunately, no one noticed...but still, it's hard to forget when some kid almost reveals magic..."

"Mom, put two and two together. That was Wyatt, Chris' brother. The evil one. The one the Alliance is fighting!"

"Honey, your 'Alliance'..." She sighed. "Don't get any ideas. The adult Alliance is taking care of it."

"Right," Catty huffed. "The 'adult' Alliance. Do they have Chris on their side? I should think not!" She put her coat down on the ground and started up the stairs to her room. "Could you keep an eye on him? The instant he wakes up he'll try to orb away, I know it. He's...independent. You know."

Their mother nodded, grinning slightly. "Night," she called after her daughters.

"G'night," they called back.

* * *

The demon crouched over the girls as they slept. "Which one...hmm..." He chuckled coldly, choosing Catty. He sprinkled the dust over her eyes. "Chris is a good for nothing spy working for Wyatt," he whispered in her ear, eyes glinting in sick pleasure.

Catty frowned in her sleep. "Chris...is a good for nothing spy working for Wyatt," she repeated in monotone.

"Perfect." He shimmered out.


	4. Hypnotized

Disclaimer: Let's all declare this where the whole world can see it and LAUGH AT ME: I DON'T OWN CHARMED!! Well, neither do you--so HAHA!

* * *

Chapter Four:

Hypnotized 

Catty slowly rose out of bed and tiptoed to her parents room, eyes glazed over and expressionless. She touched her mother's arm. "Chris wishes doom upon the Alliances. He is a spy."

"Chris wishes doom upon the Alliances. He is a spy," her mother repeated tonelessly.

"Exactly." Catty walked out of the room.

* * *

Chris blinked, opening his eyes. He squinted at the light that met his eyes. Where was he? What had happened? It slowly dawned on him that he was in Catty's living room. But how did he get here? He was dying. He was sure of it.

He rubbed his eyes, trying to make at least a little sense out of what was happening. He'd been in Catty's house many times before, but something was different. Tense. Something wasn't right.

"What...?" he tried to guess, but nothing came to mind. Some force was in this house. Maybe it was his imagination, though. Now he was starting to think that he could've dreamed up Leo and the stabbing. After all, what were the odds that he'd see Leo after all these years AND get stabbed within the same thirty minutes? Not likely, he assured himself.

"Oh, Chris, you're awake," Catty's mother said flatly. He whipped around to face her, making pancakes in the kitchen. Her eyes...there was something wrong with her eyes. They were dazed, the hazel that once matched Catty's now dull and lifeless. "That's nice."

"What am I doing here?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Ask the girls."

"What's the matter?" he asked, suddenly panicking. "Did something happen? Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine. When will you be leaving?"

"Uh...I don't even know how I got here in the first place. Could you explain—?"

Catty's mother's eyes met his and for a shocking moment he felt himself shrink away in fear of her stare. "It would be convenient if you would leave. I need to get the girls to school."

"Sure," he said, voice cracking. "Thanks for letting me spend the night..."

"Mm-hm," she said curtly, ignoring him and flipping a pancake. She began to hum out of tune, pretending nobody was there.

With a last uneasy glance at his best friend's mother, he walked out into the morning light.

It was still cold out. He shivered, no coat to help him in the dead of winter. (Once again...unrealistic San Francisco weather. Bear with me here as I constantly bend reality. Lol.) Questions still fleeted endlessly in his mind. How did he end up Catty's? Wait—maybe he dreamed up the entire Alliance meeting, too. And Catty found him...but where? Where did he orb to?

He shrugged it off. It was time for school, anyways...Catty would explain it all to him there. Right?

Not right.

"Hey, Cat," he greeted her on the bus.

Her eyes were as dull and paled as her mother's. "Hello. Please move."

"Wh-what?" he stammered.

"I asked you if you could please change seats."

He felt a chill run up his spine. Her voice was so bitter, so uncaring.

"Why?" he asked softly.

"Because I don't sit next to filthy spies." She stood up a little straighter, nose up in the air, and faced forward. "Now please move before you regret it."

"Filthy WHAT?" he demanded, outraged.

"You're working for Wyatt!" she shrieked.

The entire bus turned around and began to whisper. Everyone knew that Wyatt was evil because he revealed magic. All the world knew his name...since all the world was in danger. And if you were working for Wyatt, you might as well be dead.

He shot up out of his seat. "How dare you!" he hissed. The bus came to an abrupt stop and the driver turned around to see what was going on. For once, the entire vehicle was silent; not even one person began to poke fun at Chris.

"You call yourself the leader of the Alliance," Catty spat, "but you lied to us. You LIED! You're trying to kill us all!"

"I can't believe this, Catty. This isn't funny. Please, stop."

"I'm not joking, Chris. You know it. I know it. And now the world knows it." She gestured the horrified students on the bus, staring at him as if he was a monster. "I'll ask you again nicely. Please move."

"No!"

Suddenly his entire back seared with pain and smoke rose from his shirt. He cried out in pain as her eyes flashed bright red, piercing him. Catty, a firestarter? Was that even possible? He desperately tried to beat out the flames as his shirt burned away, suddenly feeling himself slip off the ground...Damn it, he was orbing in front of the entire eighth grade!

"No...stop...Catty..."

He was gone.

When the spinning stopped, he found himself at P3 again. By now he was used to the whole orbing concept; he was tired but not enough to have the same effects as the previous orbs.

But now he was angry. Not just angry...furious. How dare she? Catty was his best friend. And now she hated him for reasons he couldn't seem to piece together. She knew how devastated Chris was about Wyatt turning, she knew how horrible he felt for not being able to stop him.

If his own best friend didn't care about him, who would?

Don't freak out, he told himself. It'll all work out. She would come to her senses and realize that what she said was wrong.

Unless everybody hated him now. For sure, the school thought he was a menace now. Catty and her mother had acted all crazy around him. Maybe the whole world hated him now. Had it gotten out that he was the terrible Wyatt's brother? Did everyone think he was evil, too? It wasn't fair. But then again, nothing was in this twisted world of his.

He kicked the office door in rage, his back still burning where Catty had set him on fire. There was nothing left of his shirt and the flames had died down during his narrow escape by orbing.

"I can't believe this," he said, flopping down on the mothballs of an old couch. "I can't believe this. Catty...of all people..."

He sighed. "I guess I was thinking the same way when Wyatt turned. It's starting all over again, isn't it?" His eyes watered but he wouldn't allow the tears to fall. There was no way he'd be weak about their deaths, even if he still held himself accountable. "Nobody believes a word I say. They always thought I was lying about Wyatt." He laughed bitterly. "And then they just left me here. They all left...and I'll never forgive them for it..."

His expression hardened and still the tears never fell, hanging there until they faded away. He wouldn't cry for their deaths...because a part of him would never willingly accept the fact that they were gone forever. All he could do was fill his heart with more regret every minute.

"I wasn't good enough to save them. I wasn't fast enough."

He didn't know how long he sat there, staring at a spot on the wall in front of him and wondering about his life. Was that little spot there when he was born? Was it there when Wyatt turned, when Leo left them, when his family died? That poor little spot on the wall, watching everybody's lives tear apart as Wyatt's evil rein continued. That poor little spot on the wall.

That's how Chris felt. Disregarded like a little spot on the wall, forgotten once the stain remover couldn't get it away. Then made fun of because it stood out so gawkily on the cleaner walls all around it. Yeah, that was definitely how he felt every day of his life.

_They're dying, Chris. All of them...it will be your fault, just like it was before. That's right. Everyone you care about...they'll die, all because you were too weak to save them..._

Chris blinked. Blinked harder. "Who's there?" he asked shakily, not daring to move.

_Your conscience_, the voice responded, laughing coldly in his ear. _You're afraid of losing them. Welcome to your greatest fear..._

That's when he looked down and saw it: their bodies, mangled and destroyed at his feet. He cried out and leapt from the couch in shock. There lay Catty, Alia, the rest of the Alliance, Prue, Leo...even Wyatt. Dead, on the floor.

"No..." he moaned, stumbling back into the corner. "It's not true...it—it can't be..."

_Oh, but it can...they're dead, Chris. All because you weren't there to save them. A pity, isn't it? That they suffered so much?_ The voice cackled again, growing louder unceasingly in his ear. _They'll all die...just like last time..._

The bodies faded, replaced by Phoebe, Jason, and Mel, groaning as the life was sucked out of them through the poisonous athame. He reached his hand out to them but froze in fear, watching them leave again. Instead, Piper appeared, screaming...

Screaming and burning as flames tore at her flesh. His eyes locked with the scene and he stood there, utterly silent and frozen. No. There was no way he could watch this again. Not after all the nights he'd relived it...not after all of his suffering...

"It's not real!" he screamed, clenching his eyes shut tight and covering his ears. "It's a lie! Go away!!"

_Not until you see the truth. They'll all die. And in the end, you'll be the only one left to suffer. They'll leave you all alone, just like they did last time. It's a never-ending pattern...first they stop trusting you. And then they die._

"NO!" he choked out.

'Yes. Yes, they're all going to die. Leaving you...hating you...Your fault. All your fault.'

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" he yelled. The scene gradually faded and he fell to his knees, gasping for air. "Not real..." he moaned, "not real...lies...no...not dead..."

Once he caught his breath the shock caught up with him. He bolted up to his feet again, too worried about his fellow Alliance members to linger on what he'd just witnessed. If it was true...if they really did all hate him...they'd all die. And he'd have nobody left.

"Take me to Catty," he told his mind, shutting his eyes and focusing hard on the orb. "Please work...c'mon..." Once he concentrated for a painful thirty seconds, the orbs finally coursed through him. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn it!" he cursed, hitting the floor of Catty's room with a hard thud.

A crash. A shriek. BAM! Something collided with his head and he saw stars dancing in front of his eyes as the impact of the hit knocked him back. He moaned and reached for his head, feeling the warmth of his own blood.

"Get out of my house!" Catty shrieked. He looked down. She'd smacked him with her hairdryer.

"I SAID, GET OUT!" she screamed louder.

Her screams seemed to echo through his blank state of mind, intensifying the pain. "I'm...I'm going..." The orbs began to succumb him once more, and it was too late to move back when Alia called out for him.

He couldn't hear her. Because if he had, he might have gone back. If he'd heard her, then maybe this whole mess would straighten itself out.

But he didn't hear her cry out, "Chris! Wait!" and so he never knew in time.

He reached the P3, head throbbing, and fell into an uneasy slumber on the P3 couch.

There was always tomorrow to hope for.

* * *

Prue rushed up the white, glowing stairs, the fluffy clouds surrounding her. She really thought this whole heavenly Up There look was cliché and phony, but, as a whitelighter, she had to deal with it. Besides, she wasn't running up these stairs all the time. Whenever an elder summoned you, it usually meant big business or lots of trouble. And neither of which seemed appealing right now.

She finally reached the high, golden doors to the council room and swung them open.

"You're not in your robes," commented an elder disapprovingly.

Prue flipped her hair back in defiance. "I was told it was and emergency. I had no time to change. Sorry if I've inconvenienced you in any way."

"Stop at once with this impertinence!" the same elder demanded.

"Robert, this isn't going to help. Control your temper," another elder scolded. "It won't help the situation."

"Yeah, about that. What exactly IS the situation? I need to get back to my charge. He's in danger."

"More than you might think."

Prue looked up, immediately recognizing the voice. "Leo," she greeted him curtly, avoiding his gaze. "Nice to see you after...hm, what would it be? Two years now?"

Leo sighed. "Look, Prue, you know the conditions as well as I do—I can't go down there. Anyways, Barbus has escaped. We all fear that Chris would be his first victim. You need to keep a close eye on him."

Now, THIS was enough to make Prue boiling angry. "Keep a close eye on him?? I HAD A CLOSE EYE ON HIM! Then you all summoned me here, where I CAN'T SENSE HIM BECAUSE HE CAST A DAMN SPELL!" She rounded on Leo, furious at his incompetence. "THINK the next time you call me! Got it??" She orbed away in a huff, landing in Catty's house.

The couch where Chris lay the night before was empty, and Catty, Alia, and their parents were happily eating at the dinner table.

"Where's Chris?" she asked.

"Gone," said Catty, not even bothering to look up.

"You let him LEAVE?" Prue demanded, shocked.

"We don't let evil in our house," said Catty's mother with a big smile. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Prue opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. "Is this a sick joke?" she stammered.

"I don't know what's wrong with them," Alia wailed. "They've been like this all day. It's like their hypnotized!"

"Barbus," Prue muttered instinctively. "Alia, come with me. I may need your help."

Alia nodded and feebly got up from the table. Her dazed family did nothing to stop her as she took Prue's hand and they orbed away.

* * *

The Angel of Death stood in the middle of the dance floor, watching the boy sleep. His lips curled into a smile. At this rate, it wouldn't be long now...

* * *

TBC...


	5. Heritage

Disclaimer: Does it LOOK LIKE I own Charmed? DOES IT?? HUH??? Didn't think so. Grrr...SOMEDAY—SOMEDAY, I TELL YOU, I SHALL—(gets smushed by giant footprint) Oh well!

* * *

Fifth Chapter:

Heritage

When Chris woke up in the P3, his head hurt more than ever. It was almost funny. Demons tried to kill him everyday, and yet a simple hairdryer was enough to do this. He smiled wryly despite the agonizing situation at hand. He wasn't exactly invincible.

With a soft moan, he dragged himself off the couch. The spot on the wall was still there like it had been last night. He figured that going to school would be pointless at this rate. He lost his backpack in some back twisting alley running from some demon a while back and he didn't have any of the homework. Why bother?

Well, walking around outside was stupid, too. Somebody would be sure to notice a fourteen-year-old kid with a bleeding head eventually. So...the only question was, what to do?

He moaned. Everything was going wrong. How in the world could the Alliance, HIS Alliance, the one that he'd grown to love and care for, betray him like this? What could he have possibly done to make them so angry?

Suddenly a door opened somewhere in the P3. He leapt to his feet, startled, and whipped his head around to see what was happening.

"Who's there?" he asked.

A muffled gasp of shock came from the corner. A girl with pale skin and hair blacker than night itself stared back at him with big, blue eyes. "You...you go to my school," she managed to stammer. "You're Chris. That kid that sits in the back of English."

"How'd you get in here?" he asked, more curious than mad. "I mean...this place was abandoned a while ago."

"I—I'm hiding," she said simply. "You're hurt. What happened?"

The door burst open again and the demon's arrival interrupted their conversation. "I'll get you, witch!" it screamed, closing in on the girl. Chris raised his hand and in an instant the demon clattered to the ground. He grabbed her hand as quickly as he could, forcing himself to carry her weight along with him on the orb.

They landed in a heap in an alley.

"You—you're a whitelighter?" she demanded.

"No. I'm half." He cringed at the wound on his head. "I wouldn't have this if I was..."

"You're—wow. I thought...well, I didn't think there were other witches at our school."

"There are more than you might think. Catty, Alia...there are others. You're name is Liz, right? Liz Eaton." He paused. "I'm sorry about your sister. I heard about her...at the Alliance meeting."

"Alliance? What...?"

"The Alliance against Wyatt, the evil attacking us all. He killed your sister. I'm the leader of it," he explained. "You can join. We were going to find you. But..." he trailed off.

"But what?" she asked him.

"Everyone's under some kind of spell. They think I'm working for Wyatt, and I don't know why...Even Catty. And you know me and Catty are best friends. I mean, everyone knows that." He shuddered. "They're all that I have left. I don't know what would happen if I lost any of them. And now..." He shrugged.

"A spell? Who would do that?"

"Wyatt." Chris didn't even realize he'd said that until the word escaped him. Of course! Wyatt had done this, right?

"Why? I mean, how did he single you out?"

"He's my—my brother," he said weakly.

She bolted up, shocked and angry. "You're WHAT?"

Chris leaned back, running a hand through his hair and closing his eyes, not willing to see her face. "Please don't leave..."

"You're related to the man that killed my sister!" she screamed.

"I'm related to the man that killed my family," he countered. "I'm related to the man who's trying to kill me every waking moment of my life." His voice was soft, not angry. He was so tired of this. Of Wyatt, of losing people. "Look. Don't let me stop you from joining. I won't bother anyone anymore." He orbed out, finding himself on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Wow. He'd never been up here before. It was so...peaceful. He felt so far away from the hell he called life. So far away from the Alliance, from his troubles. He took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his head that throbbed. Up here...he felt so safe. Away from everything.

* * *

_"Chris, I'll be back soon. Watch Mel," Piper said curtly, grabbing her coat._

_"Where are you going?" asked Chris. They stood in the foyer of the manor._

_"The underworld and then the P3," she said casually, turning her back to him and checking her make up in a compact mirror. "I think we've got a lead on Wyatt." She saw his expression through the reflection. "We'll be back soon, I promise. And maybe..."_

_"And maybe Wyatt will be good," he finished. He'd heard this so many times now, but it was never true. "I'll watch Mel."_

_"Thanks, Chris."_

_"Are you ready, Piper?" asked Phoebe, stepping into the hallway._

_"Where's Les?" asked Chris._

_"Work. Some article thingy," Phoebe responded. "All for the better. He wouldn't want to know we were demon hunting anyway._

_Chris shrugged. "Bye."_

_They waved him off and stepped out the front door to drive to Paige's apartment, where she'd orb them down to the underworld. He sighed. This was about the third time this week and it wasn't even Wednesday yet._

_"Mel?" he called. "Hey, Mel, where are you?"_

_"Up here," she responded. She was in her room, channel surfing on the TV she'd recently gotten for her thirteenth birthday. "What is it?"_

_"Another day, another demon hunt," he groaned. "Wanna raid the pantry while they're gone?"_

_She grinned. "I suppose I could make some time for that," she said slyly. "Race ya. No orbing!"_

_"Got it." They ran down the stairs, searching in the pantry until they found a forgotten box of Oreos. "Hey, let's go up to the book," Chris mumbled through his food. "Maybe we can see which demon they're after today."_

_"Good idea." Mel stood and brushed the crumbs off of her outfit and headed up the stairs, carrying the cookie box with her._

_Chris paced at the altar of the Book of Shadows. "I don't know what they could possibly be after," he admitted. "It almost seems as if they've vanquished every demon in the book. And still, Wyatt's evil," he said angrily._

_"Hey, Chris...does it, you know, ever bother you to know that you're related to the source of all evil?" Mel asked feebly._

_"Yeah, it does. A lot."_

* * *

Chris gasped when a drop of water hit his head. He was tottering off the bridge and he quickly reached his hand out to regain his balance. It was starting to rain, he realized. Too bad he couldn't stay up here much longer...

That dream. He shuddered. Should it have gone on longer...he'd be reliving their deaths. Again and again and again. It wouldn't be the first time, or even the fifth, for that matter, that he'd watched them die.

His head started too spin and he felt dizzy, being up so high in the air. That was weird...heights had never bothered him before...

Come to think of it, he felt positively sick. And it wasn't a nice feeling at all.

With a slight moan, he reached up to pull his hair out of his eyes, then gasped in pain when he realized he'd just dug his fingers into the wound on his head. "Damn it," he cursed, holding his head to stop the pain. He closed his eyes and orbed off the bridge, afraid that the dizziness may cause him to inadvertently fall off.

Once he'd orbed himself to the P3, he collapsed onto the coach and shut his eyes. "Have to...stay awake..." he murmured. "No...can't..."

There was no way he'd let his guard down and fall asleep again. There was no way he was just going to watch that dream, watch them die...

"Chris?" asked a voice. "Hey, Chris...?"

He opened his eyes and jumped back. Liz Eaton was staring back at him with those big, woeful blue eyes again, back at the P3.

"You...you..." he managed.

"Are you all right?" she asked, concerned.

"Y-yeah...I thought..."

"No, you're not. Look at you. You're sick and you're bleeding. What the hell happened?" she demanded.

He stood shakily. "I—I don't know. Catty threw that damned hairdryer at me...like I said, they're all under a spell. They think I'm evil." He paused, staring at her intently. "I thought..."

"Look...I'm sorry I overreacted earlier. You're right. Just because you're related to someone doesn't mean you're anything like them." She looked down at her feet.

"Why the sudden change of heart?" he asked, forcing a slight grin.

"Because...because my sister."

"I'm sorry."

"Not that sister. I have an older sister, too. Her name is Bianca."

Chris nearly choked in surprise. "B-Bianca?"

She nodded, then looked at him precariously. "Why? You know her?"

"All too well!" he said. "She's been trying to kill me for months." His grin widened. "I guess we have more in common than we thought."

"I'm sorry about my sister," she apologized.

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

She sighed. "I don't know what to think anymore, honestly. I mean...my sister, my little sister Anne, she was so good and pure. And then Bianca's all...heartless. Evil. I feel as if I'm trapped between the two of them, and now that Anne's dead, I almost feel like I'm taking her place."

"She'd want you to join the Alliance. I know she would," Chris said softly.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he assured her.

"So, you're the son of a Charmed One?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

He shrugged. "Guess so. But they're all dead."

"They're what?" she gasped.

"The Charmed Ones are dead," he informed her, trying to keep his face as blank and emotionless as possible. "Wyatt killed them and my uncle and cousin. Well, actually, I only saw two of them die, so there's a slight chance Paige is alive. But she's made no attempt to contact anyone if she is, so I can only assume she's dead too."

"But if Wyatt can defeat the Charmed Ones..."

"I know. He can probably defeat us all."

"I'm sorry...for your loss."

"They never really cared much about me, anyways," he told her. "How did Bianca turn? Was she ever...normal like you and your little sister?"

Liz winced. "Yeah. I s'pose so. On her thirteenth birthday, though, she was assigned her first task as a phoenix—to serve Wyatt. She had to kill for him. She'd come home and day by day, she become more bloodthirsty...more savage. My mother swore that Anne and I would never be initiated as phoenixes after what happened to Bianca. We haven't heard from her in two years now." She raised up her sleeve, revealing the mark on her shoulder. "But I guess I'm still bound to my heritage, no matter what I do."

"Tell me about it."

She sighed. "Well, I really should be going. I was just waiting around to see if you'd pop in," she said, smiling.

Chris wondered how somebody related to a killer could have such a warm smile.

"See ya," he said.

She shimmered out of the room.

* * *

"Alia, I need for you to tell me everything you know," Prue ordered the girl.

Alia's gray eyes grew wide and she was silent for a good three minutes. Prue didn't dare interrupt her; she knew the girl was trying to determine whether or not she could trust Prue. And Prue honestly couldn't blame her, even if she did think that a little girl seeing all of her past and memories was a bit weird.

"I don't know much," she confessed after a long while.

"What's the first thing you noticed about Catty and your parents?"

"Catty...she said that she hated Chris because he was evil and working for Wyatt." She looked at Prue uncertainly. "That couldn't possibly be true, could it?"

"No, you're right, Alia. It couldn't possibly be true. Do you know why they could've thought that?" she asked gently. She was beginning to get used to Alia's long pauses in the conversation. The girl would always say everything carefully, without hesitation. But she always thought through her words first.

After another moment of silence, Alia answered, "It's like they're hypnotized. They're not their normal selves. I went to school today and the other members of the Alliance seemed the same way; just listening to teachers and talking like robots. Whenever I mentioned Chris, they'd suddenly be irrationally angry and claim that he was evil and betrayed us all." She looked around them. "Where is this place?" she asked, curious.

"We're Up There," Prue explained. "This is where whitelighters and elders go when they're not with their charges."

"It's pretty," she said offhandedly, taking in the scenic clouds and great blue sky. "But it's almost superficial." Prue knew that Alia didn't mean it in an offensive way by any means; Prue even agreed with her. With all the horrors erupting in the world below them, this place was pretty superficial. As if the people that created this place were trying to create an illusion of happiness despite the hells that existed on earth everyday.

"It is, isn't it?" Prue sighed. "What else can you tell me?"

Alia looked down at the cloud she was standing on, thinking for a moment. "It's like a virus. It's like they can infect other people and make them turn on Chris. I think..." She paused. "I think Wyatt did it."

"I think so, too."

Alia tucked her blonde locks behind her ear, eyes locked with Prue. "You're a good person," she said simply.

Prue smiled. "Thank you," she said, happy that Alia trusted her. "You're a good person, too."

"I saw Chris. He came to the house. Catty threw her hairdryer at him and he orbed away."

"Is he all right?" asked Prue.

Her face fell. "I don't know."

* * *

Liz opened the door to her house, feeling better for once after talking to Chris. He was a such a nice boy...and finally, she had somebody to relate to. Why hadn't she noticed it before?

"Liz, welcome home," sneered a voice.

"Bianca? How...?"

Lynn, her mother, sat tensely at the kitchen table. "Bianca came because she needs your help with something, dear," she explained to Liz.

"It's because mother dearest wouldn't let you get initiated..." Her mouth curled into a sickening smile. "So I thought I'd initiate you myself."

"What do you want?" asked Liz shakily.

"I need you to help me kill."

* * *

TBC... 


	6. Worst is Over

All Alone 

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed, so there is no reason to envy me...lol.

* * *

Chapter Six: 

Worst is Over

"_I wonder what it would be like," said Mel after a long pause, leaning back on the attic window with a dreamy look in her blue eyes. _

"_What what would be like?" he asked, diverting his attention from the Book of Shadows. He grabbed another cookie from the box of Oreos and offered her one. _

"_Thanks," she said, accepting it. She took a bite and chewed with a thoughtful expression on her face. "I wonder what it would be like if Wyatt wasn't evil. No—I wonder what it would be like if we didn't have any magic." _

_Chris flinched. "Don't think like that, Mel. It's not all bad." _

_She shrugged. "I know. I was just wondering. I mean, I love having powers. It's awesome. And I love being able to help people. But it's really more trouble than it's worth." She sighed wearily. "Sometimes I just wish there were no elders or witches or demons and stuff. Sometimes I just wish…." She trailed off. _

_Chris put a hand on her shoulder. "I know what you mean." They both looked over at the clock. "Three hours," Chris muttered. It had been three o'clock when they'd left. Now it was six. _

"_Yeah. Three hours," she repeated numbly. She shot up out of nowhere. "You know what? Let's go." _

"_Go where?" he asked, startled. _

"_I don't know!" she burst. "Somewhere. I don't want to be in this stupid old house. I can't take this anymore." She paused at the doorframe. "Are you coming with me or what?" she demanded. _

_Chris spared one last glance at the attic of the manor. "Yeah," he said hesitantly after a moment. "I'm supposed to be watching you…so I guess I have no choice." _

_She was already half way down the stairs and hadn't heard his words. _

Chris wouldn't have woken unless he heard the crash coming from somewhere inside the P3. The orb washed over him reflexively and in half a second he'd whirled himself into the middle of some alley someplace in San Francisco.

He managed a slight smile despite the possible danger he may have just barely escaped. At least it didn't make him so tired to orb anymore.

But he couldn't help but wonder exactly WHAT it was he'd just barely passed by. A demon? Maybe it was Liz and he'd missed her. He looked up at the sky. She'd be in school now, by the looks of things. The sun was directly overhead and nearing lunchtime. He moaned, realizing how hungry he was. Usually, when he was really starving, he'd admit defeat and go over to Catty's house and maybe munch on something small. Normally he got free school lunches.

But not anymore. He hadn't eaten…wow. How many days had it been, anyways? Three? Four? Maybe even five…

He shuddered. He couldn't even keep track of time anymore. There had to be something he could do to fix this—he couldn't just wait around to get shot like a sitting duck. He had to take action.

And do what, exactly?

He sighed. School wasn't an option with Prue there. He couldn't face her, and there was a reason behind that…but he'd never admit it that he was scared again. Scared that she would die, too. Because around him, nobody lasted too long.

He feared for Catty and the Alliance members once more. Seeing them so angry at him hurt him more than all of the years of rejection from his family. And he couldn't do anything to fix it.

Okay, he had a grand total of zero options here. Notta. Nothing.

He called himself the leader of the Alliance and he couldn't even find a way out of this! He wanted to kick himself but found that he felt too weak. He reached a hand up, rubbing the dried blood crusting on his forehead. This was not his day. No, this was not his month. Year.

Life.

He'd try one more time, he decided. If he could orb to the manor for just enough time to grab some crystals and get out, he could trap Catty and maybe some of the other Alliance members.

He braced himself. He knew that facing the manor would be hard. Somehow he couldn't tell himself it was just a place…somehow he couldn't get their screams out of his head…with or without the manor's presence.

"Here we go," he whispered to himself, orbing.

The place was a dusty mess, even worse than last time if possible. He coughed, squinting his eyes at the scene around him. Cobwebs, dust, debris from that last battle…the place was almost unrecognizable. Like a haunted house or something out of a movie, it seemed to mocked his every move.

"Crystals, crystals," he muttered, walking past the objects strewn on the floor. "Ah." He lifted the box, brushing off the dust collected on it. He orbed away to the P3, where he set up two crystal cages side by side.

"_I summon witches under spells_

_Clouded where the darkness dwells_

_Come to me, show yourselves_

_So we might return to where we fell." _

He was a little surprised when both Catty AND Ollie arrived in a swirl of glittering lights, but then he realized that Ollie must be under the spell as well. Though he didn't have much time to dwell on it…they were MAD. Not just mad…FURIOUS.

Without wasting a second of precious time, he orbed the crystals into place. They were trapped.

"You traitor!" Catty shrieked. "You betray us and take us as your prisoners? You're sick! SICK!"

"Let us GO!" Ollie screamed, banging and pushing at the walls of her cage. "You BASTARD! LET US GO!!"

"Ollie, Catty. Stop—" he pleaded.

"NO! LET US GO!" Catty screamed an unnatural animal-like cry. Chris clamped his hands over his ears, wincing at the sound. Even Ollie seemed to flinch.

"SHUT UP!" Chris yelled, surprised to hear his own voice booming above hers. "JUST SHUT UP!"

They silenced. He took a few deep breaths, trying to stop the dull ringing in his ears. "You guys are under a spell. I didn't do anything to you. I'm your LEADER—"

"You work for Wyatt, scum," Ollie spat. "Once a Halliwell, always a Halliwell. You're all insane. Your family deserved to die. They always hunted demons like maniacs. They were a shame to all witches, using their powers to punish the guilty instead of saving the innocents!"

Catty joined in. "And your BROTHER—he's killing people! All over the place! How could we ever call you our leader, hm? Maybe it was YOU that had us under a spell the entire time! I'd never trust anyone related to the source of all evil!"

Chris' expression hardened. "Look at me, Catty."

She sharply turned her head to the floor. "No way. You'll hypnotize me."

"I said, LOOK AT ME, Catty!" He telekinetically raised her head to face him. Her blue eyes locked with his and for a moment they were silent in their own defiance. "You're my best friend and you're under a spell. I don't know what happened to you, but I know that Wyatt himself has something to do with it." He took a deep breath. "Please let this work…"

He paused to think.

"What is he doing?" asked Ollie incredulously.

"Planning our deaths," Catty hissed.

"Shut up." Chris opened his eyes. "Okay, let me try it…"

"_Put the evil to an end_

_Turn the foe back to the friend_

_Point the lost back to the light_

_So we can end the hostile fight." _

A wave of blue entrapped the two girls and succumbed them. They screamed and kicked, attempting to wriggle away with no avail. Chris watched, holding his breath. Would it work? Would they be normal? Or would all be lost?

Their forms gradually began to reappear. Catty opened her mouth, face twisted in rage—he braced himself—

"Chris, watch out!" she shouted.

That was unexpected, but it wasn't enough to alert him in time. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head before crumpling to the ground. The last face he saw…was Liz. Crying.

"_Where are you supposing we go?" asked Chris as casually as he could, shrugging on a coat and following her outside. He shivered, partly from the cold air but mostly from apprehension._

_She didn't respond right away. "Oh, I don't know. Anywhere. Got any money?" _

"_Five bucks," he snorted. "Enough to have a shopping spree at the nearest 7-11." _

_She rolled her eyes. "Let's just take a walk, then." _

"_But shouldn't we be there when they come back?" asked Chris, following her on the sidewalk. "They'll be worried." _

_Now it was Mel's turn to snort. "Don't kid yourself, Chris." _

_They walked a few aimless miles in silence before Chris felt an unusual pang in his gut. Instantly he was alarmed. This only happened when someone in the family was hurt; it was a part of the whitelighter genes he'd inherited. "Mel," he moaned, "they're in trouble. We've—we've gotta go back." _

"_What?" she asked, panic evident in her voice. "Are you okay? You're really pale and the last time you were like this—"_

"_Wyatt was trying to kill our moms," he finished with a groan. "God, I wish I could orb," he added as they ran. He clutched his side in agony, feeling their every burn and stab. When they finally reached the front steps, he collapsed onto the ground. _

"_Chris!" Mel shrieked. _

"_I'll—be fine," he lied. "Find them." _

_When the next overwhelming stab of pain came, he knew that he would never see Mel or the rest of his family again. _

"Liz?" Catty breathed, shocked. "Liz _Eaton_?"

The girl was shaking and sobbing, continuing to whack Chris on the head with the pan. Catty was alerted out of her dumbfounded state as soon as she realized the danger Chris was in. "Liz, stop! What are you doing? Let him go!" She pounded on the cage walls desperately.

"Why do you care?" Liz choked. "You think he's evil!" WHACK. "He told me!" WHACK. "So you can just shut up!"

"Don't hurt him, Liz! What the hell is wrong with you? Don't! You're gonna kill him! STOP!" she shrieked hysterically, bursting into sobs along with Liz.

"It's not my fault," Liz cried. WHACK. "I have to kill him. Either that or Bianca will kill me and my mother." WHACK. She turned to face Catty, eyes wild and distorted through her tears. "You think I wanna kill him? He's my friend, too! While you were under a spell, I was helping him!" WHACK. She stood, weeping harder, and shimmered away.

Ollie was on the floor, sending her energy balls at the cage furiously, not bothering to suppress her frustrated screams. "Chris is going to die! What are we going to do? Catty? Catty, what'll we do?"

Catty slid to her knees, still unable to break the barrier. Then it hit her.

"PRUE!" she yelled. "PRUE, WE NEED YOU!"

Prue orbed in with Alia, immediately seeing Chris on the floor. Wasting not a moment, she leaned down and started healing while Alia released Catty and Ollie from their cages. Prue finished healing and sighed in relief, but Chris remained unconscious.

"Let him rest. He'll be fine." She turned to Catty and Ollie. "The spell's broken?"

"Yeah," said Catty shakily.

"We've got to fix the boys, then," Alia said quietly.

"I know the spell Chris used. I still remember," said Ollie. "I'm on it. I know where to find them." She looked at Chris. "If he wakes up before I get back, tell him I'm sorry," she said quietly before turning to leave.

Catty sighed and let out a grateful smile that Chris was okay. "We all are. But tomorrow's another day."

Prue smiled, too. "I think it can only get easier from here."

_Mel watched them from Up There. She was on a break in her education as whitelighter, at which points in the day she would always check up on Chris and the other Alliance members. _

_For the first time since she'd died, she was satisfied with what she saw below. Things wouldn't be as bad any longer. _

* * *

-Fini-

Pink-Charmed-One


End file.
